Ride and Seek Bike Tours

The first stage the Morocco cycling tour and it gives us a chance to explore one of the ‘countries’ where the Moors originated. This National Geographic 2-minute read gives a succinct take on what that area was, before the creation of the modern-day state system. Our cycling tour in Morocco starts in the remarkable Fes medina and takes us north to the enchanting port city of Tangiers.

The route we take incorporates the Imperial city of Meknes which is named after the Berber tribe known as the Miknasa. A UNESCO listed city it is also close to the remarkable Roman archaeological site of Volubilis (Oualili) which is also Heritage-listed and also on our itinerary. From here, we head into the Middle Atlas mountains and stay in the enchanting town of Ifrane before heading back to Fes.

Our Morocco cycling tour continues as we head north and our route takes us to the delightful city of Chefchaouen that is colloquially known to many in the West as the ‘Blue City’ for obvious reasons. After our stay here we cycle up to Tetouan which is known as the ‘White Dove’ and is a very enchanting stop. The town’s medina is also UNESCO listed and you’ll immediately understand why that is the case. Our destination is the atmospheric city of Tangiers that serves as a wonderful place to mark the end of our first cycle foray on to the African continent.

Highlights

• Marvel at the remarkable UNESCO sites of Alhambra (Granada) & La Mezquita (Cordoba
• Cycle the road less travelled in the southern Portuguese region of the Algarve
• Explore the labyrinth-like medinas of Fez and Meknes
• Indulge in wonderful Moroccan cuisine exemplified by the most wonderful tagines
• Wander the streets of the enchanting ‘Blue City’ of Chefchauen
• Compare the relative merits of mint tea and coffee at our rest stops in Morocco
• Discover the wonders of Moorish architecture in the enchanting town of Ronda
• Sample the finest sherry and marvel at the equestrian art and flamenco in the town of Jerez
• Take on the highest paved road in Europe – the Pico de Veleta (3380 metres) – this is optional
• Learn about the Moorish legacy with guided tours in Ronda, Granada and Cordoba
• Indulge yourself in the varied gastronomy of Andalucia that embraces the art of the Mediterranean diet

His National Order of Merit award from the French government this year was a reflection of the esteem he is held in France and an acknowledgment of the 31 editions of the Tour de France he commented on. Whilst still commentating on Australian TV his new passion is touring the world by bike and we are delighted to welcome him to the Ride & Seek team as both an ambassador and a guide.

We have also partnered with the organisation that presents the hallowed title of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’ (‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’). Thus far there are 157 villages spread across 21 regions that can lay claim to this prestigious title and with a number of them – for good reason – situated in the enchanting region of Provence.

Notwithstanding that Provence is our own back yard – our operations base is here – we were also drawn to running our inaugural ‘most beautiful tour’ here because no other region so firmly embodies the essence of the organisation. This prestigious classification is not just based on aesthetics but also embraces a way of life.

We still visit a number of the classic destinations such as St Remy de Provence and the Vaucluse but our itinerary incorporates so much more besides. From Les Baux to Venasque, Les Alpilles to Glanum our tour offers a broader perspective of Provence than the more regular fare.

With a rich Roman heritage we also visit some of the best preserved remnants of this great empire on our journey. Interlacing this are cultural and historical highlights from our more recent past as well as insights into more distant eras. Cycling through landscapes painted by Cezanne and Van Gogh it soon becomes clear why so many of the most distinguished poets and painters chose to make Provence home.

Along the way we will sample some fantastic vintages from the Côtes du Rhône region which complement a cuisine renown both for its flair and freshness. Blessed with an abundance of natural ingredients the Provencal gastronomy provides the final piece of what can only be described as the ultimate bike tour jigsaw.

Our Provence itinerary is one of our Local Tours which are designed for the discerning cyclist who wishes to explore a region in depth without too many hotel changes. By their nature these tours provide scope for participants to ride as little or as much as they would like. As such this tour is suitable for non-riders since there are plenty of activities to keep them busy. It also provides scope for more experienced riders to push themselves on our extra loops which include the ‘giant’ of Provence – Mont Ventoux. This is optional of course!

Highlights

• Explore 8 villages classified as being among the most beautiful in France – ‘Les Plus Beaux’
• Wander the streets of St Remy, birthplace of Nostradamus and visit the site of the sanitarium where Van Gogh painted his final works
• Be enchanted by the rich Roman heritage of the region from the ruins of Glanum to the ‘little brother’ of the Pont du Gard – Barbegal
• Experience the quintessential Provencal experience – the weekly market – and delight in the sensory overload.
• Sample the sophisticated wines of Côtes du Rhône and delight in a cuisine that has few equals
• Take up the challenge of one of the most iconic cycle routes of them all – climbing Mont Ventoux. Note that this is an extra loop!
• Embrace the elements of the good life that Peter Mayle so articulately depicted in his 1989 book ‘A Year in Provence’!

Split into 3 stages, each a week long, the 3 Islands Tour is a journey through the history, food, architecture and traditions of these Mediterranean jewels. The exceptional diversity of the islands is represented through the numerous civilizations and cultures that have left their mark, the amazing gastronomic variations, the strikingly rugged interior landscapes paired with stunning coastlines of white beaches and emerald waters, and locals with an incredibly strong sense of place. The Mediterranean charm is truly at the heart of this tour.

We ride from North to South beginning with Corsica, home of Napoleon. It's mountainous North contrasts beautifully with idyllic beaches and fishing villages. From here we head to Sardinia ' land of towering cliffs, beach coves and unique history. Then finally to Sicily where rolling farmland, volcanoes and stunning coastline is littered by classical sites in exceptional settings.

This tour is in the process of being scouted but the general route is already set. We will ride down the west coast of Corsica which is the more picturesque and less busy side. We will end the first week in the stunning village of Bonifacio. From here we will sail across to Italy and Sardinia. Our ride down Sardinia will take us along the west coast which holds more Phoenician significance and is our preferred cycling route too. Our destination is Cagliari from where we will catch the overnight ferry to Sicily and its atmospheric capital Palermo. The ride through Sicily will focus on the southern part of the island as we head towards Catania which marks the end of our ride.

Conceptually our Phoenician (3 Island) tour will sit at the less extreme end of the Ride and Seek Epic spectrum. The average daily riding distance will be around 80km and whilst all the islands are 'hilly' daily elevation profiles will be less dramatic than some of our other offerings. That said we will also offer daily 'extra loop' rides that head inland for those wanting more hills and ride time. This tour is graded as 3 espresso cups so we feel it has a broadest reach of our Epic tours.

Join us on a ride of historical proportions as we ride in the footsteps of Hannibal from Barcelona to Gavi. Cycling on some of Europe’s most iconic and picturesque bike touring routes through Spain, France, and Italy this epic journey takes on the most iconic leg of Hannibal’s journey. Divided into 2 stages the Hannibal tour takes in some of the finest cycling you could ever wish to find. Picture postcard views abound as we traverse some of the iconic climbs of the Grand Tours, roll through the vineyards of the Languedoc, Provence, and then over the Alps into Piedmont, Italy.

Experience total immersion in the landscape, history, and culture of the places we visit as we ride this inspirational iconic trail on the road less travelled. Discover from the saddle why Hannibal’s invasion of Rome in 218 BC was a major turning point in history. This was the clash of the ancient superpowers. If Hannibal had been victorious against Rome our world today would be completely different. The Western world wouldn’t have Rome at its origins, rather a Middle Eastern colony based in North Africa!

Extra loops are available for those wanting more daily riding and elevation.

We're delighted to confirm that Mike Tomalaris is joining us on the Italian leg of the journey. Also joining the party is bestselling author Ben Kane who will join us in the first week and provide the historical context in his usual engaging style. And we are very pleased to ride with the journalist/author Felix Lowe again who wrote a book about the 2013 tour.

Cycle through European History

This epic Central Europe bike trip includes 5 capitals and 5 distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. It begins in Berlin where the breaking down of the Wall heralded the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The route travels back and forth from east to west, crossing the Iron Curtain — the divide between communism and democratic capitalism, between the Soviet Union with its oppressive Red Army and the West and its allied states. The history on this tour is still palpable and unlike our other historic epic adventures, is still remembered by many of us. Take it on as a full Epic over 18 days or break it down into two parts – Berlin to Prague over 7 days or Prague to Budapest over 12 days.

Highlights

• Berlin Wall and its Checkpoint Charlie, which served as a symbol of the Iron Curtain as a whole.
• Connect 5 fascinating European capitals by bike, each with their own culture and unique cuisine.
• Cycle along the rivers and canals that thread their way through the forests that cover much of Eastern Germany.
• Follow the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities.
• Roll through the castle and fortress filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River.
• A rest day in Prague, a city that rivals Paris with its beauty and 1000-year history.
• The Renaissance town of Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Sampling the world’s best beers, where almost every town has its own brewery; German wheat beers, Czech Pilsner, Austrian Lager and Hungarian ales.
• The now quiet and abandoned cold war fortifications and watchtowers that dot our route as we cross the former Iron Curtain.
• A rest day in beautiful Vienna recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site and often described as an open-air museum.
• Cycle along the Danube Bend region, one of its most scenic, where it enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders with quaint villages hugging its banks.
• Finish in Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove, majestically laid out along the Danube.

Our Samurai Tour slots perfectly into the Ride and Seek portfolio, as we explore the smallest of Japan's main islands, and immerse ourselves in its spectacular history, culture and landscape.

Our route follows ancient and meandering Samurai roads, which tend to be smooth, narrow and with very little traffic. We will cycle through the magnificent Iya Gorge, and tackle Mt Ishizuchi, which is Western Japan's highest peak at 1982m (6503ft). There are some beautiful and exhilarating descents to enjoy, as we explore the green valleys, passing terraced rice paddies, traditional thatched-roof houses and old villages clinging to the mountain sides. Our tour finishes with the spectacular Shimanami Kaido; a series of suspension bridges that spans the inland sea, and links Shikoku to the main island of Honshu.

Shikoku is also famous for its pilgrimage of the 88-temples associated with the Buddhist priest Kuka, known posthumously as Kobo-Daishi. Modern-day pilgrims, called 'Henro' by the locals, still tackle the 1200-kilometre route, many of them sporting the traditional white clothing, sedge hats and kong-zue walking sticks.

Accommodation will be in a mixture of Western-style hotels and traditional Japanese Inns. These mountain inns may be quite different to anything you have experienced before, with straw mat floors and futon beds that are folded away during the day. Anything they may lack in modern comforts is more than made up for by their charm and authenticity. Some of them have natural hot spring baths, and we think you'll agree that soaking your muscles with a local beer in hand is the perfect way to end the day.

Join us on this ride of historical proportions as we ride in the footsteps of Napoleon from Paris to Tallinn.

The Napoleon tour, divided into 3 stages is an Epic spanning the length of Europe to the Russian border following in the footsteps of Napoleon’s near 700,000 strong Grande Armée.

We will ride across the Champagne region of France into the picturesque castle clad green hills of southern Germany. Our route then takes us through UNESCO protected medieval villages in Poland to the North Sea. From here we strike east via the great lakes of Poland and up through the Baltics and finish at the Estonian border town of Narva, overlooking the river onto the 15th century Russian Ivangorod Castle.

Experience total immersion into the landscape, history and culture of the places we visit as we ride this inspirational trail on the road less travelled.

Cro-Magnon refers to the population of early Homo sapiens dating from the Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 40,000 to c. 10,000 years ago) in Europe and provides the primary focus for this tour. We start at the Chauvet cave in the Ardeche region whose painting have been carbon dated to 32,000 years ago. From here we head south along the Rhone River and through Provence and the Languedoc as we head to the ‘capital’ of pre -history – Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in the Dordogne. It was here that Édouard Lartet discovered the five archaeological layers in a shallow cave that demonstrated the evolutionary path of mankind. Rouffignac with it’s mammoth, Font de Gaume and Cap Blanc are just three of the amazing cave sites that we’ll visit here.

We then head westwards to perhaps the best known cave site at Lascaux (images from which are shown below). Discovered by four teenagers in 1940 this site is considered by many to be the most impressive example of pre-historic cave art. The original cave is now closed to the public due to the damaging impact of carbon dioxide in human breathe but the replica that is situated on the same site is a wonderful representation in its own right.

Further highlights of the tour include a meeting with Monsieur Begouen who owns the Grotte des 3 Frères and a visit the Gargas cave that is otherwise known as the ‘Hands Cave’. Our trip specialist – Vincent Reboul – has spent years planning this tour and has a network of contacts at all of these cave sites that adds a extra immersive dimension to the tour experience. The tour concludes on the Spanish border at Tautavel where we visit the Aragon Cave where the remains of the 450,000 year old ‘Homme de Tautavel’ have been found. Our Cro Magnon tour provides a wonderful chance to delve into the fascinating subject of human evolution whilst offering a wonderful sensory bike ride across Southern France.

The Māori New Zealand Cycling Tour crosses the length of this spectacular southern land. The route takes in its highlights across both the North and the South Island. From the thermal wonderland of Rotorua rich with Māorii heritage to the Volcano country surrounding Tongariro National Park. From the wild West coast with its pristine nature to the stunning Southern Alps our first Epic Adventure foray into the southern hemisphere ticks all the boxes.

Having split from the super continent of Godwana some 65 million years ago New Zealand offers a distinctive bio-diversity that is comparable with the Galapagos Islands. A veritable geothermal wonderland the country boasts an array of varying landscapes – which in part explains why it provided the backdrop for much of the Lord the Rings film series. With a population of just 5 million and a comparable land mass to that of the United Kingdom this tour takes riders on the road less travelled and marks an extension of the RS program into the Southern Hemisphere. In keeping with the historical context the Maori culture provides an intriguing backdrop for our travels. The uniqueness of the flora and fauna of NZ, remarkable landscapes and a rich culture make this new tour a wonderful tenth edition the RS Epic tour roster.

Riders will be treated to incredible landscapes including thermal wonderlands, volcanoes, wild unspoiled coastlines and the stunning Alps of the Southern Island which will have you regularly grabbing for your camera. Finish each day at hand picked hotels and lodges with ample opportunity to sample New Zealand’s world class wine, fresh seafood and seasonal driven food.

In 1839 Explorer Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki set off from Sydney on a journey of scientific discovery. We follow his 5-month journey into the Great Dividing Range through the Snowy Mountains to Melbourne. Spend a rest day in the skiing township of Thredbo, NSW, giving you a chance to explore Australia’s highest peak. Strzelecki climbed and named Mt Kosciuszko in March 1840.

Stage 2 of this Australian bike tour heads into bushranger county and along the Murray River before turning back into the mountains and summiting Mt Hotham, Australia’s highest sealed road at 1,840 metres.

A beautiful descent through forested wilderness continues over two days to the coast from where Strzelecki’s expedition took a turn for the worse and he was forced to leave his horses and mineral samples behind. Strzelecki would have likely died of starvation had it not been for the knowledge and hunting skills of his two Aboriginal guides as they made a 3-week long dash to Melbourne.

With much of the dense forest which caused Strzelecki’s expedition so much trouble now open farmland, we instead skirt the mountains and ride through the fern-filled Yarra Ranges before entering Australia’s most cycle-friendly city: Melbourne.

Stage 3 of this Australian cycling tour starts with an overnight ferry journey from Melbourne, VIC, to the port town of Devonport in Tasmania. Strzelecki spent 2 years exploring almost every part of the island and our route heads to what he considered (and thankfully still is) the wildest and most beautiful parts of this southern gem — known internationally as offering some of the most scenic cycling in the world. After exploring the mountainous heights and the rainforest lined west coast of Tasmania, the cycling tour finishes in Hobart, Australia’s second-oldest capital and its historical charms are still evident to this day.

We're delighted to confirm that Mike Tomalaris is joining us for part of the journey.